1. India will resume e-Visa facility for UK citizens after 2 years
Tags: National International News
The Indian High commissioner to the United Kingdom (UK) Vikram K Doraiswami has announced on 5 December 2022 that India will shortly resume the e-Visa facility for UK citizens travelling to India.
The e visa facility was suspended in March 2020 due to the outbreak of covid.
What is E-Visa?
According to the Ministry of External Affairs the e-Visa is granted to a foreigner whose sole objective of visiting India is recreation, sightseeing, casual visit to meet friends or relatives, attending a short term yoga programme, medical treatment including treatment under Indian systems of medicine and business purpose and no other purpose/ activity.
Earlier in August, UK Immigration Statistics said that Indian nationals were issued the largest number of UK study, work and visitor visas. India has now overtaken China as the largest nationality being issued sponsored study visas in the UK.
United Kingdom
It is an empire consisting of England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
Great Britain consists of England, Wales and Scotland.
Head of State: King Charles III
Prime Minister: Rishi Sunak
Currency: Pound Sterling
Capital: London
2. Hyderabad gets India’s first real-time Gold ATM
Tags: Economy/Finance National News
Hyderabad-based Goldsika Pvt Ltd has installed a Gold ATM, which is claimed to be the country's first real-time gold dispensing machine.
Important facts
This is India’s first and the world’s first real-time Gold ATM.
Each ATM has a capacity of holding upto 5kgs of gold which is worth around Rs.2-3 crores.
The ATM machine dispenses coins ranging from 0.5 grams to 100 grams.
There are 8 available options, including 0.5 grams, 1 gram, 2 grams, 5 grams, 10 grams, 20 grams, 50 grams and 100 grams.
People can come here and get the coins directly instead of going to jewellery shops.
These coins are 24-carat gold and 999 certified. The customers will get their investment returns at a live price without any wastage.
The important feature of the ATM is prices are updated live.
About India's first gold ATM in Hyderabad
Gold ATM has a diverse set of uses, is easy to use, is available 24x7, and allows you to buy gold within your budget.
Gold ATMs allow customers easier access so that everyone can use their debit card for credit card for making transactions.
Through these Gold ATMs, buyers can instantaneously purchase actual gold using any credit or debit card.
It work like every other ATM.
3. India - France Partnership on Kaziranga Project
Tags: Environment National News
India and France are collaborating under the Kaziranga Project in the Kaziranga National Park in Assam.
Important facts
With France and India technical and financial support, the Indo-Pacific Parks Partnership will facilitate partnership activities for natural parks of the Indo-Pacific region.
These activities include biodiversity conservation, wildlife management and engagement with local communities.
About the Kaziranga project
The Kaziranga project is a part of a larger Assam Project on Forest and Biodiversity Conservation (APFBC) for which the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) has committed funding of €80.2 million for a 10-year period, between 2014-2024.
The project envisages afforestation of 33,500 hectares of land by 2024 and training of 10,000 community members in alternative livelihoods.
The AFD program has been most effective in skill development in the area, especially in the forest dwelling communities.
The Assam government has started a massive reforestation drive with the help of AFD.
About Kaziranga National Park
It is a national park in the state of Assam, India. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is spread over an area of 42,996 hectares.
Two-thirds of the world's one-horned rhinoceros are found in this sanctuary.
Kaziranga is home to the highest density of tigers among protected areas in the world, and was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006.
It is the largest undivided representative area of Brahmaputra valley floodplain grassland.
It has been recognized by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area.
4. HAL and BEL in the top 100 defence companies list of SIPRI
Tags: Reports Defence International News
Two Indian government owned defence companies Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) have been included by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute((SIPRI) in its list of 100 top defence companies in the world 2021. In a report released by SIPRI on 5 December 2022 HAL was ranked 42nd with $3.3 billion in arms sales and HAL was ranked at 63rd Rank with $1.8 billion sales in 2021.
HAL is the manufacturer of fighter aircrafts like LCA Tejas, Su-30MKI, helicopters like LCH Prachand etc, and trainer aircrafts for the Indian Air Force. BEL manufactures advanced electronics equipment for the armed forces.
Last year apart from HAL and BEL, Indian Ordnance Factories were included in the top 100 defence companies.
Highlights of SIPRI report
In 2021, the total arms sales of the world’s Top 100 totalled $592 billion in 2021, marking an increase of 1.9 per cent in their arms sales compared with 2020.
The United States has 40 companies in the top 100 defence companies in the world.
The top 5 companies are all American.
China has 8 companies in the top 100 companies.
Country-wise, in the 2021 list,
- US companies topped with a share of 51 per cent of the total arms sales, followed by Chinese companies with 18 per cent,
- UK firms with 6.8 per cent, and
- French companies with 4.9 per cent share.
Russian companies garnered only 3 per cent of the global share.
India is the world’s second-biggest importer of weapons after Saudi Arabia and is also the world’s third-biggest spender on defence after the US and China.
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
SIPRI is an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament. It is funded mainly by the Swedish Government.
It was set up in 1966
Headquarters: Solana, Sweden
5. Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurates integrated ‘Agriculture Investment Portal’
Tags: National News
Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated the integrated ‘Agriculture Investment Portal’ on 6 December.
Important facts
Agriculture Investment Portal will prove to be a milestone in terms of investment in the agriculture sector.
It will be a centralised one stop portal for agri-investors to avail benefits of various government schemes implemented by various departments related to agriculture and allied sectors.
This portal would prove to be handy for the investors, they would get a lot of help from it.
The Co-Chairperson of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Melinda French Gates held a meeting with the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar in New Delhi.
The government believes that if the power of the farmers increases, then as a result, the agriculture sector will improve and production will also increase.
With the aim to further increase investment in agriculture, the government has allocated a special package of over ₹1.5 lakh crore for agriculture and allied sectors under the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’.
Work on these provisions has started, including the Rs 1 lakh crore Agriculture Infrastructure Fund. Once these are implemented, the Indian agriculture sector will be rejuvenated.
6. 18th Joint Working Group meet between India, Bangladesh on security, border management
Tags: International Relations International News
A two-day 18th Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting on security and border management between India and Bangladesh started on 5 December in Delhi.
Important facts
Both sides will discuss strengthening the bilateral mechanism to deal with the menace of terrorism and extremism in all its forms.
Both sides will also discuss issues to develop mechanisms to further hasten the process of verification of nationality, and status of prisoners lodged in jails of either country.
The Indian delegation for the JWG meeting is being led by Piyush Goyal, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
An Additional Secretary level officer is also heading the group of eight-member Bangladeshi delegation which will discuss the issues of common concern of the two neighbouring countries that share a 4,096 km border.
This Additional Secretary level meeting is related to the preparation in advance for the Home Secretary level talks between India and Bangladesh.
The 17th Home Secretary level talks between India and Bangladesh and the meeting of the Joint Working Group between the two countries were held in Dhaka on November 16-17, 2015 to discuss the security and border management-related issues.
The Indian delegation was led by the then Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi and the Bangladesh delegation was led by the then Senior Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Dr Md. Mozammel Haque Khan.
7. NSA Doval meet counterparts from Central Asian countries in Delhi
Tags: Summits National News
NSA Ajit Doval welcomes dignitaries to the first India-Central Asia meeting of the National Security Advisers/Secretaries of Security Councils on 6 December in New Delhi.
Important facts
This was the first time that the NSAs of the Central Asian countries were in the national capital Delhi for a security meeting amid the humanitarian and security situation arising in Afghanistan.
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually hosted the first India-Central Asia Summit on 27 January, which was attended by the presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
During the Summit, Prime Minister Modi and the Central Asian Leaders discussed the next steps in taking India-Central Asia relations to new heights.
The leaders had agreed to institutionalise the Summit mechanism by deciding to hold it every two years.
They also agreed on regular meetings of Foreign Ministers, Trade Ministers, Culture Ministers and Security Council Secretaries to prepare a plan of action for the summits.
An India-Central Asia Secretariat will be set up in New Delhi to support the new mechanism.
The leaders discussed far-reaching proposals for cooperation in trade and connectivity, development cooperation, defense and security, cultural and people-to-people contacts.
These include the Round Table on Energy and Connectivity, the Joint Working Group at Senior Official Level on Afghanistan and the use of Chabahar Port, the display of Buddhist exhibitions in Central Asian countries and joint counter-terrorism exercises.
They also agreed on annual 100-member youth delegations from Central Asian countries to India and special courses for Central Asian diplomats.
8. NDDB, Amul to provide technical support to enhance milk production in Sri Lanka
Tags: National National News
According to the Sri Lankan President's office statement released on 5 December 2022 , India will provide technical support to Sri Lanka to enhance its dairy industry and milk output. India is the largest producer of Milk in the world and National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) played a crucial role in it.
The Sri Lankan government is being assisted by the officials of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which markets milk under the Amul brand. They will provide necessary technical support for the production of milk in Sri Lanka.
India’s success in increasing the production of milk and dairy products is result of a cooperative dairy model pioneered by NDDB and its marketing done by the GCMMF which is also a cooperative .
National Dairy Development Board(NDDB)
It was set up in 1966 as a society under the Societies Act 1860. The first chairman of NDDB was Verghese Kurien . Kurien is also called as the father of White Revolution in India .
It comes under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
Headquarters: Anand, Gujarat
It launched operation flood in India which has made India,largest producer of milk in the world.
Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF)
It is the largest food marketing organization in the country.
It was set up in 1973 and is the owner of the Amul brand.
9. G7 price cap on Russian oil comes into force, Indian not to be affected: Hardeep Singh Puri
Tags: Economy/Finance International News
The Group of 7 countries (G7) price cap of $60 per barrel on the Russian seaborne oil came into effect on 5 December 2022. Seaborne oil means petroleum crude oil which is transported through tankers. It doesn't include Russian oils transported through pipelines. Russia however has refused to accept the decision of the G7 countries.
The G7( The United States of America, Canada, France, Germany, Italy ,United Kingdom and Japan) attempt to target Russian oil supplies is seen as an attempt by the western countries to limit the Russian ability to finance its war on Ukraine .
Russia which is the world’s second largest exporter of petroleum oil in the world after Saudi Arabia attacked Ukraine on 24 February as it accused Ukraine of genocide in the Eastern part of Ukraine . Western countries are supporting Ukraine and in an effort to cripple the Russian war effort, have imposed a series of sanctions on Russia.
Oil Price Cap
The G7 countries, Australia and the European Union have agreed to impose a $60 per barrel price cap on Russian crude oil transported through sea.
The G7 agreement allows Russian oil to be shipped to third-party countries using G7 and EU tankers, insurance companies and banks, only if the cargo is bought at or below the $60 per barrel cap.
However Industry players and a U.S. official said in October that Russia can access enough tankers to ship most of its oil beyond the reach of the cap, underscoring the limits of the most ambitious plan yet to curb Russia's wartime revenue.
Impact on India
The Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri has said that the decision of the G7 countries will not impact India.
He said that ‘Russia is not our top supplier of oil; our traditional top suppliers are Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE”. In 2021-22, India imported 53 percent of its oil from these countries. In 2022-23, between April and September, 52 percent of India’s crude oil imports came from these countries,”
He said that if Russia refuses to sell crude oil at the capped price or cuts down production, it will affect the global supply chain. It will put pressure on producing countries to meet the energy demand, resulting in a spike in crude prices.
10. Air Pollution second largest cause of death & disability in Bangladesh: World Bank
Tags: Reports International News
According to a World Bank report released on 4 December, 2022, air pollution is the second largest cause of death and disability in Bangladesh and costs about 3.9 to 4.00 percent of the country’s GDP.
Important facts
According to report air pollution caused the death of between 78,000 to 88,000 thousand people in Bangladesh in 2019.
Bangladesh was ranked as the most polluted country in the world, and Dhaka as the second most polluted city each year between 2018 and 2021.
The report found that major construction sites and traffic in Dhaka have the highest levels of pollution.
In these places, particulate matter (PM2.5), which is considered the most dangerous to health, exceeds WHO air quality guidelines (AQG) by an average of 150 percent, which is equivalent to smoking about 1.7 cigarettes per day.
The second highest concentration of PM2.5 levels is found near brick kilns in Greater Dhaka, which is 136 percent above the WHO AQG – equivalent to smoking 1.6 cigarettes per day.
In Bangladesh, Dhaka is the most polluted division while Sylhet is the least polluted.
The western regions (Khulna and Rajshahi) are more polluted than the eastern ones (Sylhet and Chattogram).
Exposure to high levels of air pollution increases the risk of difficulties in breathing, cough, respiratory tract infections, depression, and other health conditions.
The World Bank report said children under five, the elderly and people with diabetes, heart or respiratory disease are most vulnerable.
